Misc. thoughts on no events in Canada anymore :(

[eastcoastbumps]

Ya, I get tears in my eyes too!! 2007 truck and trailer stolen, 2008 crunched the car! Are you sure we have to go back there?

Could be worse...Mosport '06, I crunched Paddys car in the first session of the first day. Tremblant '08, blown motor first session of the first day.

[TroyV]

Had I not lifted a head at Tremblant, I would have been at Mosport. It was a total bummer.

I love Tremblant though, and I'm very happy to go every year. I have probably five times more seat time there than at NHMS.

[WillM]

I'm not a 'regular', but just want to chime in and mention how guilty I felt not doing Calaboogie, but especially Mosport with COM.

Tommy, you may not be a "regular", but you are certainly a long-time staple of the club! Great to see you at our Canadian events, I think it's been years since you've traveled to an event at NH, but think you are probably our only Canadian member who has crossed the boarder for NH!

[mr2sc]

thanks Will, I've been doing COM events since 1996 (MT was the first).

but actually Matt Levine (hails from Beaconsfield, right near me) made it to NHIS, and still apparently holds the ST1 record (North Chicane / South Oval config) from back in 2000.
He was also ST1 class champion that year with his E36 M3!

Met up with him a few times at other events in 2001~2, but don't know what ever happened to him after that

I tried contacting him once after I 'thought' I glimpsed him towing an unpainted Cobra kit on the highway but he seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth...

[DanB]

IMO, the Canada events are worth subsidizing. I'd like for the club to keep them even if they lose money.

Increased annual membership? Increased rates everywhere? Partially charge instructors?

Kinda hard to know what the unintended effects of the above might be. But it sure would be a shame to lose the Canadian events, even though I only make it to them ~half the time.

[eastcoastbumps]

IMO, the Canada events are worth subsidizing. I'd like for the club to keep them even if they lose money.

Increased annual membership? Increased rates everywhere? Partially charge instructors?

Kinda hard to know what the unintended effects of the above might be. But it sure would be a shame to lose the Canadian events, even though I only make it to them ~half the time.

Do instructors still have their entry fee waived if they don't have a student to instruct?

[cfossum]

Fee "still" waived? That has never happened under my watch. At every event that I've been involved in, each instructor has had at least one student, and usually two. At one particular Mosport event a few years ago, I had four students. I should have gotten money back! This topic has been covered already... let's get back to discussing Canadian events. I'll take four students again to get back to Mosport, anytime.
-Carl

[jlwhorf]

IMO, the Canada events are worth subsidizing. I'd like for the club to keep them even if they lose money.

Increased annual membership? Increased rates everywhere? Partially charge instructors?

Kinda hard to know what the unintended effects of the above might be. But it sure would be a shame to lose the Canadian events, even though I only make it to them ~half the time.

Being a NHMS regular, I don't think it is fare to increase fees to pay for the canada losses. With current fees, I have only been able to afford one day of an event.

If we want to keep canada tracks; do something like open registration at the time of a confirmed date and before deposit is due, to see if there is enough interest before the point of no return. If there is not enough interest, refund or credit peoples money.

Jonathan

[DanB]

To be sure, I only speak for myself when I say that I wouldn't mind spending some additional $$$ (at all events, not just at the Canada events) as an instructor in the interests of keeping these events viable. But that opens up the possibility of not having enough instructors which is not acceptable.

Even if I never went to a Canada event again, I would be in favor of subsidizing them merely to have the opportunity! But obviously others legitimately disagree with this point of view.

Ultimately, I have faith in the club leadership to weigh all the options and make the appropriate decisions in the best interests of the club.

But it is a shame to lose these events...

[eastcoastbumps]

Fee "still" waived? That has never happened under my watch. At every event that I've been involved in, each instructor has had at least one student, and usually two. At one particular Mosport event a few years ago, I had four students. I should have gotten money back! This topic has been covered already... let's get back to discussing Canadian events. I'll take four students again to get back to Mosport, anytime.
-Carl

Carl, I didn't mean it like that. I don't have the participation numbers here in front of me. I dont' know how many students or instructors show up to away events. I know sometimes instructors will have two students at the more popular home events. And I figured with the low number of over all participants at away events, and with all the returning instructors, that it may be possible to have more instructors than students. I wasn't aware that never ever ever happens. Sorry.

[cfossum]

Its all good. Just wanted to set the record straight before speculation got out of hand.
-Carl

[boltonite]

If we want to keep canada tracks; do something like open registration at the time of a confirmed date and before deposit is due, to see if there is enough interest before the point of no return. If there is not enough interest, refund or credit peoples money.
Jonathan

That is a great idea, and timely. Unfortunately, the reality of how track dates are set (i.e., most clubs are committing now for 2009 track dates and each track has its own policy re deposits) makes a go/no-go strategy as suggested hard to implement. OTOH, gauging interest and "intent to run" in advance of an event would be helpful in other ways. Hopefully, a way will be found to make these great Canadian tracks viable (or at least affordable) for COM in 2010...

FF

[Chris Yates]

Curious, how much does it cost to rent Calbogie midweek?

Thanks,

Chris

[chaos4NH]

Curious, how much does it cost to rent Calbogie midweek?

Thanks,

Chris

Chris I sent you a PM with the information.

[Mario Fallas]

We need tracks like Mosport and Mont Tremblant... it brings excellence to the club, that we go to these tracks with so much legacy.
I think at least ONE in Canada should be a must and we rotate every year. Given this, we also whould make it on a week-end when possible because of the travel time. It's a lot easier to take a Fri+Mon off to travel to and from than having an event on week-days.

Also why not try new tracks? the new on in NJ, Beaver Run, Pocono. It's just a question w/o much research...
Raj and Sam: Leaving "mementos" in Canada is reason you are better today

i don't think is a good idea to increase the cost of a event to finance an other, people vote with their money!
all though we do what we do for fun, the club is & should be treated as a business, i can almost see this Canadian events run @ no profit for whatever reasons, but certainly not at a loss, all events should stand on it's own two legs or get scratch from the schedule or COM won't be around soon enough!

I'm all for Pocono & it's 3-4 configurations, the north course being the exception (boring) & more dates WG (wow!)